


Trouble in Paradise

by troublesomedragon



Series: Castiel's Extended Family [2]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Supernatural
Genre: Can be read as a stand alone, M/M, Mentions of Lucifer TV Show Characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:35:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29185647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/troublesomedragon/pseuds/troublesomedragon
Summary: In which Cas runs away from home and Dean is irrationally jealous of a Demon who has been as good as married for 6,000 years
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: Castiel's Extended Family [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2142759
Comments: 3
Kudos: 77





	1. Everything is Fine

_Everything is Fine_

Castiel cuts through time and space without even thinking about it. For once in his life, he wants to be as far away from Dean as possible. The man is impossibly stubborn and refuses to be happy. This is starting to frustrate him. Of course, he has no illusions about Dean. He’s always known that the man isn’t perfect. The moment he’d touched his soul he’d learned everything there is to know about Dean Winchester, flaws and all. He’d still fallen for him hard, metaphorically and literally. Even so, now that there is nothing in their way, his reluctance to compromise even a little is testing his already frayed patience. 

He slams open the door to his brother's charming little bookstore in Soho and sits down, gratefully accepting the tea they’d left out for him while giving a muted apology about barging in unannounced. Lucky for him, Aziraphale is more than happy to have angelic company who doesn’t want to harm him or destroy his way of life. It’s something they have in common. He risks a glance at Crowley, the classic car lover with a secret soft side that he’s learned to squash down for his own survival, and sighs. Among other things, he amends silently, grateful that angels here can’t read minds. 

“What did he do this time?” Crowley asks, immediately seeing through him.

He flinches. Maybe, it’d been a mistake to come to this particular universe. Crowley is supernaturally good at reading people, just like Dean. He shakes his head to dispel the thought. You came here to get away from Dean. 

Aziraphale gives Crowley a disapproving look and puts down his coco.

“Now Dear, don’t assume Castiel came here because he’s having boyfriend trouble. Maybe, he just wanted to visit.”

Cas slinks further into the sofa in shame, looking down at his tea. He does tend to come here when he is in trouble. Time moves faster in this place. He can stay a few days, clear his head, and return to Dean in minutes if he wants. That way Dean never has the opportunity to miss him, and he can vent to people who in no way are associated with Dean. 

“I’m sorry, Aziraphale. I did come here because of Dean. He’s being difficult, and I find this world very comforting. I like you two,” he admits shyly. 

Crowley scoffs skeptically, but Aziraphale beams at him, not at all bothered that he’d come to complain about Dean.

It's nice to be reminded that happy endings exist, even if their world had completely missed the mark. He’d found out later that even Sam had been miserable in his seemingly perfect life. Castiel desperately wants to give Dean a chance to live his life free of destiny, bring them all back to the point before he’d been the unfortunate victim of impalement and start over. For reasons beyond him, Dean is vehemently against the idea. 

“He doesn’t want to go back to Earth. He wants to stay in Heaven with me. I suggested temporarily removing my grace and joining him but-”

“He completely flipped out.” Crowley finishes for him, nodding in understanding. 

Castiel waits for him to elaborate, but the demon refuses to say another word. Cas does what he does best and stares him down. Crowley’s dark shades easily shield him from the angel’s penetrating gaze. Despite this, the fallen angel instinctively tenses, disliking the sudden scrutiny. He knows he’s being rude, but if Crowley can help him, he's not above intimidating a demon, even one he’s quite fond of. Aziraphale can’t stand the tense silence and intervenes again. 

“Care to share with the class, dear?” 

Aziraphale’s voice snaps Crowley out of his fear induced stillness. He’s had one too many close calls with angels and part of Castiel feels guilty for trying to take advantage of that. These two are one of the few remaining angelic beings he considers family, although he knows full well that Crowley would vehemently deny being remotely angelic despite being the patron saint of lost things. He nods stiffly at Aziraphale before reluctantly facing Cas. 

“If you wanted him to go back to Earth, making yourself vulnerable was absolutely the last thing you should have suggested, he only wants to stay in Heaven because he knows you're safe there. Keep in mind it’s only been a few weeks since you were rescued from the Empty, and he wasn’t even the one to save you from it.” 

“Oh, I didn’t realize.” But he should have. Dean has gone through so much in such a short time. Maybe, he is the one being unreasonable for suggesting they immediately go back to their old lives. Cas just wants Dean to have everything he deserves. 

“Let’s not forget that the Empty is far from silent despite its weakened state, and from what you’ve told us, it has formed an unhealthy obsession with taking you,” Aziraphale said, mouth forming a grim line.

Cas rolls his eyes, not at all worried about the Empty anymore. He knows he is loved. There is little the Empty can do to hurt him anymore. 

“I can handle the Empty if I encounter it again.” He doesn’t expect to.

“But surely you can understand his side of things, now. I would wait before mentioning again. Let the idea simmer under the surface for a while. He’ll come to a decision on his own, one way or another,” Crowley insists. 

It’s clear whose side he’s on, but it’s also clear that Crowley is speaking from experience. With that in mind, Castiel decides to heed his advice. He nods solemnly and takes another sip of tea. It’s gone cold. Aziraphale instantly warms it up for him. 

“You're welcome to stay as long as you like, honeybee,” Aziraphale says, briefly placing a hand on his shoulder to reassure him he’s welcome before zeroing in on a patron who is intent on buying a rare book. 

Castiel smirks. He’s yet to see anyone succeed in such a venture, but maybe, this human will manage it. He’ll enjoy the show no matter the outcome. Crowley watches him watch Aziraphale and smirks himself.

“And you call yourself an angel,” he says accusingly. 

“I understand this ritual is important to Aziraphale. Early in our acquaintanceship I suggested he open a library where the humans would be obligated to return his books so he wouldn’t have to spend so much energy chasing customers away. He looked at me as if I’d asked him to give away all his children.”

“You did.”

Castiel nods. He understands that now. Besides, better that he chase away customers here, than for him to suddenly break into the homes of any patron who is foolish enough to ignore the return date or Heaven forbid, lose or damage the book in any way. He’s not sure the poor humans who tried such a thing would come out unscathed. 

Aziraphale successfully turns the customer away with the excuse that he’s currently dealing with a family emergency which is a bit of an exaggeration, but Castiel still nods gravely and looks down. The man leaves in a huff and threatens to return in a week’s time. He’s clearly familiar with Aziraphale’s avoidance tactics and looks undaunted by the delay. Crowley helpfully fills him in, telling him that Mr.Poe is the angel’s best customer which naturally makes him Aziraphale’s least favorite person. 

“So angel, expecting any other relatives to drop into our little pocket of the universe?” Crowley asks, making great efforts to appear grumpy. He knows that’s his cue to supply him with the goods.

Cas hands him a small bottle of holy water with a promise to bring him more next time. Crowley takes the offering and hastily stuffs it in his jacket. Aziraphale frowns in disapproval but doesn’t begrudge him the extra protection. 

“I suppose Jack might come to get him again if Castiel stays with us too long. He always checks in with us first, then Lucy,” Aziraphale reminds him before abandoning his favorite chair so he can sit by Crowley. 

Crowley subtly relaxes and leans into Aziraphale, taking his angel’s hand without a hint of hesitation. Aziraphale responds by giving him a quick chaste peck on the cheek. Crowley blushes, but otherwise keeps his cool and doesn’t outwardly react. He’s a little jealous at how easily they show affection in others company. Dean is not quite there yet though he’s trying. At least, he doesn’t seem to mind if Sam sees anymore. 

“Dean tried to use Angel as a pet name once, I think,” he muses, not sure why he feels compelled to tell them this story. He thinks maybe Aziraphale will get a chuckle out of it. 

“I was less aware of the subtleties of language at the time and thought he was trying to insult me. So I turned back and said ‘What do you want, human? He never tried to use it again.”

It’s not Aziraphale who reacts. Crowley lets out a sharp laugh that almost sounds like a hiss. He finally removes his shades and sets them on the coffee table, shaking his head fondly. 

“Amateur.”

Cas smiles as he looks into Crowley’s gorgeous reptilian eyes, familiar enough with the subtle signals Dean tended to use to know the significance of the gesture. He decides then and there to spend a few weeks with his brother and life partner before returning home. It’s been a while since he’s spent more than a few hours with them, not since . . . Jack. 

He shakes his head, pushing down the guilt. As much as he would have liked to bring Jack, they can’t afford to leave their universe unprotected, not with the Empty active and angry. He’ll make it up to him somehow. As for Dean, he can handle a few days without him. Everything would be fine.


	2. Everything is not Fine, Cas!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Which Dean has a chat with his God son and worries Cas has run off with another Crowley

_ Everything is not fine, Cas! _

Everything is not fine. He and Cas had their first big fight since reuniting in Heaven because apparently, the angel doesn’t think his happily ever after was good enough for him. (It irks him that Sam seems to agree.) Then, the angel has the gall to disappear without a trace for days, and no one seems the slightest bit concerned except him.

Riled up, Dean marches into the garden to find Jack, ready for round two. The kid is sitting on a bench feeding the ducks peas, mind somewhere else. The fight instantly goes out of him, and he’s about to turn back when he hears something that catches his attention. 

“Those two really did like ducks. I wonder how they're doing. I’m sure Cas will tell me,” he muses to himself. Dean freezes, not believing his ears.

His family knew exactly where Cas was, and they didn’t tell him.

“Sure, Cas will tell you what?” Dean says evenly. He’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, especially since he historically hasn’t. 

The kid gives the ducks the last of his peas and turns around to face him, not at all surprised to see him. He supposes the kid’s omniscient now. 

“Hey Dean, Cas isn’t in the empty if that’s what you’re wondering. He’s perfectly safe where he is. I should have told you at least that much. I know I shouldn’t pick sides, but he’s always been there for me, and I thought he’d be back by now, but I understand why he’d want to stay longer.“

The kid sounds ashamed like he’s failed Cas somehow. Maybe, they all had in their own way, but the dudes like three, and he feels compelled to reassure him. 

“Cas always comes back, but It’s nice to know he isn’t dead. So what? He’s crashing on Earth somewhere since he misses it so much.” 

Dean knows he sounds petulant, but he can’t help it right now. Cas ran away, and he doesn’t understand why the angel is pushing for him to go back to Earth where he got impaled in the first place. Usually, if Dean’s happy, Cas is happy. He willfully ignores the voice in his head that tells him that maybe, the problem is that he isn’t actually happy. 

“No, he’s not in this universe right now. I don’t know when he’ll be back, but if he takes too long, I’ll go get him,” Jack assures him as if this is a normal occurrence.

Dean stiffens. Maybe, it is. 

“He went to another universe to get away from me.”

“Don’t think of it like that. He’s just visiting family. I’d have gone with him if I could, but I’m God now so . . .”

The fact that he sounds so disappointed triggers every one of his worst insecurities. Maybe, they’d both figured out he wasn’t worth latching onto. Worse, maybe, Cas wants to take back all the beautiful things he said about him and start over. Hell, if Jack wasn’t burdened with the responsibility of this world, he’d probably join him and not drag him back every time he tried.

His eyes feel watery, and he instinctively snaps at Jack, pushing down his fears in favor of his anger. Perhaps, this instinct to smite instead of feel is the reason he was the perfect meat puppet for an archangel.

“We’re his family, and so, are you. He shouldn’t need to go anywhere else for that. So, why the hell would he?”

Jack barely reacts. In fact, he looks at him with pity. Dean grimaces, realizing that he’s become fluent in Dean speak.

“All of the angels here that Cas has ever cared for are either stuck in the Empty or now hate him with a burning passion.”

Dean stomach flips, again honing in on the fact that there are indeed facets of Cas he can’t satisfy. Whatever, he’ll damn well try.

“So, get them out of the Empty.”

Jack shakes his head, giving him a pleading look as if he hasn’t usurped God as if he’s asking too much.

“The only reason I was able to get Cas out of the Empty was because it wasn’t expecting me to value Cas’s life over mine. If I go back . . .”

He finishes the thought for him, wracked with guilt. It shouldn’t have been the kid’s responsibility to get Cas out of there in the first place.

“It’ll be ready for you. We could end up losing you again for good.”

“Y-yeah, but if you really want me to, I could-“

“No, you don’t have to do that. Maybe, someday we’ll figure out a safe way to get them all out, but for now, thank you, for getting Cas out when I was too broken to do it.”

He swallows, hating how fast he turns into a sobbing wreck. He didn’t want to fall apart like this, not in front of the kid.

“You’re only human Dean.”

Dean bites his bottom lip, barely holding back his anger. He doesn’t quite manage it.

“ What’s so special about the idiots he’s with now?”

Oh Jack, Cas is basically a cat with a second family, and he’s the jealous first owner who drove the cat away. Okay, wait no, that’s a stupid metaphor, even if it’s accurate. 

“They’re really nice. We spent the summer there once. I made friends with this kid called Adam and-”

“He took you there? Why?”

He’s suspected as much with how sulky the kid’s being, but naively hoped it wasn’t the case. It’s enough Cas has become a flight risk now that he’s discovered not all angels are dicks.

“He wanted me to see what a real family was like.” 

It’s brutally honest, and Jack immediately realizes that was the wrong thing to say. He scrambles for a way to soften the blow. Dean doesn’t give him a chance.

“What are they like?” he asks softly. 

The realization that Cas knew the kid needed something more stable than they could offer, at least for a while, hurts more than he cares to admit. 

“Crowley is a lot like you,” Jack says. 

Dean makes a face. 

“Different Crowley,” he clarifies, a small smile on his face. He’s never met the guy, but they’ve told him enough stories to know that Cas hanging with Crowley again would have been enough to give him a heart attack.

“Good.”

He doesn’t say that he’s not terribly thrilled that Cas is hanging out with anyone named Crowley. It’s written on his face. Jack chooses to ignore it and keep going, practically gushing as he describes the guy.

“He’s really fond of his Bentley. He doesn’t always say what he means, but his actions speak louder than words. He really likes kids even if he won’t admit it. Best Demon I ever met.”

He’s a demon too. Isn’t that just peachy? It doesn’t help that he does sound a lot like him. 

“Say kid, that summer you spent over there, did-did Cas spend a lot of time with this Crowley?”

Jack realizes what he’s thinking and quickly does damage control.

“It wasn’t like that. He’s together with the other angel. I think Crowley didn’t quite trust him yet even, but he liked me so he tolerated Cas.”

That puts him more at ease than it should.

“What about the other one?”

“He loves books, especially rare books with weird misprints or odd topics. He seems like a softie at first, but he’s a soldier like Cas. You can kind of tell after a while,” he muses, reminiscing like an old man who can’t do fun things anymore.

It breaks his heart in the worst way. 

He forces himself to pay attention when the kid starts talking again. 

“He went full Karen on a poor lady who didn’t want me to go to her kid’s party with Adam because I look like a thirty year old apparently. After he gave her an earful and threatened to get the former nuns of the Chattering Order of St. Beryl involved, I got to go, and they even gave me two party bags.”

He sounded more like his old self now, and he was kind of glad the oversized kid got to act his age for once, even if Cas had kept it from him.

“I think that might have been Adam though. Sometimes, I think he can still influence things a little bit, even if he doesn’t like to think so. I wonder what he’d think of me being God now,” Jack says, wistful for a friend he’ll probably never get to see again and likely also for the peaceful normal life he should have had. 

Dean frowns, wishing he could give him that life, but it seems he can’t even get that for himself, now without royally fucking it up anyway. He pushes down the sudden feeling of helplessness that creeps up on him and focuses on learning more. 

“Who’s this Adam kid?”

Jack lights up and instantly starts gushing again. 

“Adam is a real sweet kid, really loves his hometown. He wouldn’t hurt a fly these days. We played pirates, knights, samurai, and even demons and angels which involved way more paperwork than I would have thought, but Crowley insisted that we keep it authentic. We didn’t end up playing that one for very long.” 

It’s painfully obvious how easily Adam could have become Jack’s best friend. The guilt settles deeper into his stomach, and it’s taking all his willpower to not immediately give the kid permission to leave and let this world rot.

It never did much for him in the long run anyway. 

Jack mistakes his carefully neutral mask for disapproval and tries to wrap it up.

“Oh and he was the antichrist once, but apparently, dad’s worse in that universe, but I’ve heard conflicting reports from Crowley so I’m not one hundred percent sure,” he adds as an afterthought. 

His first impulse is to freak out and forbid him from ever seeing Adam again which is both irrational and a moot point when his position as God chains him here. His second instinct is to interrogate Jack and figure out if Adam takes after his father or not. So, he can decide whether to thank the kid for being a good friend or kick his ass for being a bad influence. Given what they’ve been through and the fact Cas truly seems to believe that the universe he took Jack to is safe, he decides to trust the kid’s judgment and let that last tidbit go for now.

“Okay, I’m glad you had fun,” he says stiffly in a way that wouldn’t fool Jack even if he wasn’t God tier.

“I swear he’s good. He was never a monster like me. He made a mistake, and he fixed it. No one died. Please, he’s practically human. You can’t hate him,” Jack begs, brimming with emotion in a way an all powerful being shouldn’t be capable of. 

Jack really thinks he’ll hate the kid just because he was the antichrist once, but he can’t really blame him for thinking that with what he put him through. 

He wants to burst into tears all over again, but he can’t. The no chick flick rule is still ingrained into him in a fundamental way, and he can’t give himself permission to feel that openly. So, instead, he dances around it, finds a loophole to say what he actually means like he’s always done. 

“Jack, if you say he’s good, I believe you. You’re my kid. Nothing else matters.”

He claps him on the back and flashes him his brightest smile. 

“Besides, I really gotta work on my temper so you guys can stand to be around me for all eternity,” Dean admits. 

He knows he’s lucky to have the family he has, especially Cas. Anyone else would have left him by now. Dean swallows nervously. Maybe, he finally did. No matter what the kid says. 

Jack shakes his head and smiles back at him fondly. 

“You’re not that bad,” he insists in a tone that lets him know that he absolutely adores him, and there’s nothing Dean can do about it.

He wishes he deserved all the unconditional love that’s come his way. It’s taken him years to even accept the possibility that he’s worth saving. That his life is worth living. All Dean sees is the cracks, yet somehow, his angel has managed to convince him that broken things can be beautiful. Broken things can be fixed. 

“You got a blind spot like Cas. It’s genetic,” he jokes, trying not to get choked up. 

He can’t believe he came up here to yell at him. 

“That’s impossible. We’re not related by blood,” Jack says in a very Cas way.

Dean chuckles, feeling an ache in his chest that shouldn’t be there. He misses his angel. 

“Still more Cas than Lucifer, that’s for sure,” he says, finally releasing Jack from his grip, but not before patting his back a few times in lieu of a hug. 

“So, are you going to send me to Cas or do I gotta throw a temper tantrum?” Dean says playfully, even if they both know he’s not kidding about the temper tantrum. 

The ducks still haven’t forgiven him for that last incident. They’ve been squawking at him since he showed up. Cowards aren’t brave enough to come out of the water and chase him away so he doesn’t pay them any mind. 

“Dean, Cas will come back when he’s ready,” Jack says, putting on his “I’m God now, and you have to listen to me” face. 

This kid can and has moved Heaven and Earth for Castiel. In a competition between him and Cas, he’ll always lose. So, he tries a different approach. He forces himself to keep calm and casually lets the kid know that he’s not going to drag Cas back if he doesn’t want to come back. No, he has something different in mind. 

“I want to see what the fuss is about, ” he explains which is just his polite way of saying that he wants to check out the competition. Maybe, he can figure out why the angel keeps coming back.

He doesn’t completely buy that Cas and Crowley are just friends. After all, he’s used that excuse for twelve years. 

Jack looks skeptical but also a little guilty for keeping Cas’s secret family from him. After hesitating for a couple of seconds, he finally caves. 

“Fine, but if you’re going, I want you to make a good impression. Let’s go over some do’s and don’ts. How much do you know about forks?” 

He conjures a two pronged fork out of thin air. He’s never seen anything like it in his life. Instead of answering, he rolls his eyes and scoffs. 

“What are they royalty?”

Jack doesn’t realize it is a rhetorical question and gives him a run down on what Aziraphale and Crowley’s deal is. He doesn’t like what he hears. 

“Well, Aziraphale’s only a principality, but it’s possible Crowley was once the Archangel Raphael. He swears that his old coworkers are just spreading libel and slander though so I can’t be sure.”

“Great, my boyfriend might have a crush on an Archangel, perfect.”

Why did everyone have to find his boyfriend hot?

Jack scowls, angrily pointing a tiny fork at him. It’s adorable that he thinks he can intimidate him with that thing when he’s seen the kid do so much worse without even trying. 

“Dean, don’t do this to yourself. Aziraphale and Crowley are practically married. So, stop being a jealous teenage girl, or I won’t send you.”

It’s surreal to hear his own words used against him. He laughs. Things really have gone full circle. 

“I’m a bad influence on you.”

The kid lightens up a little and conjures a fancy table full of odd looking forks. He grimaces, glad the only fork variant he’s ever dealt with before this was a spork. 

Why the hell do rich people need so many forks?

“Nah, but seriously, you don’t want to end up in a fancy restaurant and pick up the wrong fork. It’s embarrassing,” he says quietly, blushing slightly. 

He grabs a comically oversized fork and gives into his violent impulses. He needs to channel his uncertainty and frustration into something, and these angels had the gall to mess with his kid. 

“Did they make fun of you for picking up the wrong fork? I’ll send them both to Hell right now,” he says, suddenly more trigger happy than angel of the lord, Cas was when he first met him. 

Jack holds his hands up in a panic and tries to do damage control again, afraid that Dean really will find a way to kill the two snobby Angels with a fork. 

“Dean no, but people noticed, and you’re not exactly-” He tries to find a polite way to say it. 

“Snobby angel friend material?”

“I wouldn’t put it that way but yeah,” Jack says, looking defeated.    


“I want you guys to get along, but I’m kinda worried you’ll end up turning Crowley into a puddle of goo if I let you go,” he says, clearly anxious about the whole thing. 

Dean sighs. He’s supposed to be the adult here. He can try to be civil and not murder Crowley. 

“I’ll sit through your stupid fork lesson, but only because I don’t want to give Crowley the satisfaction,” Dean says, glaring at a particularly ridiculous looking fork.

“Not the same Crowley,” Jack reminds him gently.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Dean says dismissively. 

Jack smirks and picks up the fork Dean was eyeing. 

“So, you’re saying our Crowley could be mistaken for an archangel.”

Dean’s sure he’s red in the face. He sits down on the chair Jack materialized at some point and slams his hands on the table. 

“Shut up and teach me about forks.”

Jack nods and sits down across from him, eyes full of mischief. 

“It’s the town where Bella meets Edward,” he says, deadpan. 

Dean scowls again and picks up the fancy trident fork. He’s going to win his boyfriend back even if it kills him. 

“Don’t get cute with me. What’s this one for?”


	3. How Many Secret Families do you have?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Which Dean makes up with Cas and they make couple friends

_How Many Secret Families do you have?_

Crowley ends up being nothing like he expected. He’s tall and lithe like a snake, and Dean stares a second too long as he bends down to glue a coin to the ground. The demon is all sharp edges and weary glances when he finally notices him. Dean walks over, takes a coin out of his pocket and uses his own glue to add it to Crowley’s collection. He nods in approval, not quite able to hide his surprise even with his thick black shades. He straightens his suit jacket and clears his throat, suddenly nervous. He’s not sure why. If anything, Dean is the one who should be feeling threatened right now. 

“I take it you used to be a demon?”

Dean flinches, wondering if the stink of Hell is still on him even after all this time. How could he ask something like that so casually? He has to remind himself the rules of this world are different. Demons are simply fallen angels that dared to question God. And yeah, he’s damn sure that most of them are nasty pieces of work, but from what Jack’s told him, Crowley’s practically a saint. The only thing keeping him from Heaven at this point seems to be lack of interest, and his slightly warped morality. In Crowley’s mind, he’s probably paid him a compliment. 

He nods and starts gluing another coin to the ground so he has an excuse not to look the demon in the eye. 

“How could you tell?” 

Normally, he’d prefer not to know, but he doesn’t want to do anything to draw attention to himself if he can help it. Just because Cas thinks this world is safe, doesn’t mean it is. Sometimes his angel has real shitty instincts. 

“I know good craftsmanship when I see it. Once a demon, always a demon.”

This guy has no idea how close he is to being stabbed with a dinner fork. 

“He’s upstairs researching with Aziraphale. It’s good you came. He was planning to come see you anyway,” Crowley offers helpfully before he can give in to his violent impulses. 

He nods again, absently twirling the hidden fork. It’s his only means of self defense in this stupid universe. No weapons had been one of Jack’s conditions. He’d only let him take the fork to humor him. He’s about to barge into the bookshop when the damn demon gives him some unsolicited advice.

“Take it from someone who knows, sometimes you just have to say what you mean and let the chips fall where they may. Your angels is far too literal to read between the lines otherwise.”

He kind of feels the need to defend Cas’s honor after that snide remark. 

“And yours can?”

“Mine has a doctorate. Yours thinks Assbutt is a good insult,” he snaps back.

He couldn’t argue with that so he didn’t try.

“Whatever Raphael,” he says, choosing that moment to dash into the bookstore, grinning wickedly. 

“Lies, libel, slander! How dare you? Of all the humans, he could have picked-” 

He ends up out of earshot before he hears the end of his little rant, but he’s quite pleased with himself as he dashes upstairs. He’s chosen not to linger in the bookshop although he can tell with one glance that the other angel’s collection is worth its weight in gold. If he’d found this shop in his world, he definitely would have been one of the annoying customers that kept coming back despite the abysmal service and intentionally malicious and confusing hours of operation. 

“Hello Dean,” Cas says as soon as he enters the room, eyes never leaving the book he’s reading, a small smile on his lips. 

“I wasn’t expecting you to be the one to come get me, but I’m glad you did. There’s something we need to discuss, and it might be better to have this particular conversation where Jack can’t eavesdrop.”

Cas and Aziraphale are sitting at opposite ends of the room surrounded by ancient texts, each armed with a cup full of coco that must have gone cold hours ago. There’s a third cup waiting for him by the love seat on the coffee table. He sits down and accepts the offering, a little surprised that he doesn’t feel the familiar pull of anger he usually does when Cas goes against everything they planned. In fact, he’s alarmingly calm. 

“Why did you run away?” he asks, cutting to the chase.

Since his angel up and left him without warning, he feels he should get to go first. 

Cas sighs and finally puts the book down and joins him on the loveseat. Dean freezes up when he takes his hand, and he can’t help but glance at the other angel in the room. His eyes haven’t left the book he’s reading, but he’s smiling knowingly. Dean feels some of the tension in his muscles leave him and turns to look at Cas. He looks guilty but unashamed. There’s something determined in his gaze, and Dean knows he’s gearing up for a fight. 

“I wasn’t planning too. I just wanted to get away from you for a while, and I ended up here, because this is one of the few places where I feel at home even when you’re not with me.”

The fear that Cas will leave him again returns with a vengeance, and he tightens his grip on the angel. He’s heart jumps when Cas doesn’t respond in kind. 

“You’ve been gone for days, Cas. You couldn’t have left a note or something? The Empty could have taken you again for all I knew.”

“Jack surely said something,” he argues. 

“Not soon enough, call me crazy, but people constantly telling me your fine after we had a huge fight without any supporting evidence makes me think I accidentally ended up in a djinn dreamland again, especially when you don’t answer my prayers.” 

Cas has the decency to look ashamed. 

“I’m sorry you went through that Dean. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Yeah, you weren’t.”

Aziraphale clears his throat, suddenly uncomfortable.

“ I can see that you two need some time to clear the air on your own. I’m going to go check on Crowley. You two take as long as you need, and you can join us for dinner later,” Aziraphale offers, hastily retreating now that he’s caught wind of the fact that their lover’s quarrel isn’t ending any time soon. 

“Thank you, Aziraphale. We’ll be sure to take you up on that offer.”

Dean nods in agreement, eyes never leaving Cas. 

“Lovely to meet you Dean, ” he adds as an afterthought. 

Dean grunts in response too fixated on staring Cas down to even try to be charming. 

Neither of them talk until they hear the door snap shut. He realizes too late that he’s failed to make a good impression with either angel. Oh well, with any luck, they wouldn’t be visiting Heaven’s odd couple too often.

“I originally planned to stay no more than a few hours which would have added up to minutes in our world. You were never supposed to miss me,” Cas explains, eyes fixed on their entwined hands. 

“That didn’t exactly happen, did it?” he snaps. 

The sting of betrayal is written all over his face. Cas has actually been staying with ebony and ivory for months while he’s been driving himself crazy thinking his angel might be in trouble. How could he possibly think any of this is okay? He tries to take back his hand, maybe move to the comfortable looking recliner, but Cas pulls him back. 

“Jack is too young to carry the heavy burden that has been forced upon him,” he says abruptly.

Dean is beyond confused. Isn’t this situation supposed to be the equivalent of your boyfriend moving back in with his family? What does Jack have to do with any of this?

“What’s your point, Sunshine? Because it kind of seems to me you packed a suitcase and split without Jack.”

Cas shoots him a dry look that tells him that he’s completely missed the mark as far as what’s going on. Dean shuts up, and his boyfriend doesn’t bother to dignify what he said with a response. 

“ I’ve been researching ways for Jack to transfer his powers to someone else. Finding a solution has taken longer than I expected even with Aziraphale’s resources.”

Dean’s eyes go wide. That’s a game changer. In his head, he goes through a list of supernatural entities he might trust with that kind of power.

Amara? Brutally devoured by her own sibling, and he hates himself for pushing her in that direction. Michael? Traitorous Angel Dick who’s stuck in the Empty for the foreseeable future. Same as every other angel, so Gabriel’s out too. Rowena? She’s already got a gig. He doesn’t even entertain the idea of giving Lucifer another shot at it. He shakes his head. 

“Who else could handle that kind of power?”

“I could.”

He’s kind of glad he’s not all human right now because his heart just stopped. He wrenches himself from Castiel’s grip and stands up, already calculating the most hurtful thing he could say to end this conversation. In the heat of the moment, only one thing comes to mind. 

“No.”

Last time nearly destroyed him. He’s not going through that again. He tries to walk away, but the angel is in front of him before he can even blink. Dean scowls. He did not miss Cas being able to sneak up on him at the drop of a dime. 

“I understand your reservations Dean, but Jack deserves a chance to have a childhood.”

What’s with Cas and making unilateral decisions designed to break his heart into a million pieces? He doesn’t want this. Why would he do this? Why can’t they be a normal couple who talks about things first? Dammit!

“So what? You’re going to leave me a single parent. Is that the super special awesome life you want me to have on Earth? Because any life without you in it is going to be Hell for me.”

So sue him, he’s taking the stupid demon’s advice. Anything to nib this problem in the bud.

Cas places a hand on his shoulder, the one that used to bear his mark, and he automatically relaxes. At least, he knows it's not Lucifer messing with him if nothing else. 

“I know. I wasn’t going to suggest that. Believe me, Crowley has pointed out every conceivable flaw in every one of my proposed solutions for the dilemma we find ourselves in.”

Cas sounds annoyed, but in a fond way. Dean hates it. Hates that he’s spent months with the guy. Hates that the demon likes classic cars and Queen, and that they’d probably be friends if his name wasn’t freaking Crowley. Hates that some part of him still thinks they’d be a better match than what he and Cas have going on because Crowley hasn’t ever thrown him out on the street with no money or IDs. Crowley’s never had the chance to say the awful things that Dean has said. Crowley can’t ever die and invalidate the stupid sacrifices Cas made for him. 

“If you like hanging out with Crowleys so much, why don’t you just marry this one? He’s practically a better version of me,” he huffs. 

Cas squints and tilts his head. It’s his turn to be confused by an out of nowhere comment. Unfortunately, his angel must have caught a glimpse of what he’s been thinking because the confusion goes away, and he chuckles. 

“He’s as good as married, and I have someone else in mind,” he says, squeezing his shoulder meaningfully, an amused sparkle in his eyes.

Dean hates that he’s not actually sure if he’s talking about him, even if it looks freaking obvious on the surface. He can’t be that lucky. He’s just some guy and Cas is-

“Who?”

He knows its a stupid question, but he needs the reassurance. For a cocky guy, his self esteem is fragile as Hell. Cas’s eyes seem to glow brighter, but not in the ‘I’m an angel of the lord’ way, but in the ‘my future husband is an idiot, but I love him’ way. He swears that a bunch of butterflies spontaneously invade his stomach when Cas presses his forehead to his. 

“He’s an impossibly stubborn, unpredictable pain in my chassis, but-”

Cas leaves the thought incomplete, letting it linger, clearly teasing. Dean can’t take it. 

“But?”

His other hand cups his cheek, and he lightly brushes his thumb over Dean’s lips. He thanks this universe’s God that Aziraphale bailed already, or Dean would have definitely ruined this moment between them just because there was another person in the room. 

Honestly, they might have gotten together sooner if Sam had decided to become a lawboy after all and quit hunting. He lets that thought slip his mind when he feels Cas’s chapped lips on his forehead. Dean shuts his eyes and inhales a shaky breath. The moment ends and Cas withdraws. 

“He’s kind, compassionate, righteous, and his faith in me- his love for me is impossibly bright. I couldn't look away if I tried,” he finishes.

The tension is too thick so he makes a joke.

“You never tried very hard,” he says dismissively. 

Cas smirks, fully aware of what he’s doing as he pulls Dean closer to him, a hair’s breadth away from his lips. Dean scans his face. It’s playful yet full of quiet admiration. 

“Why would I want to?”

He can’t stand the depth of Cas’s love right now. It’s too much. Not here, not now, in this unfamiliar world, he’s been hiding away in. When they go home, he and Cas can pick up where they left off but not before. 

“You were-uh- gonna say something about Jack?”

Cas seems to get that Dean doesn’t want to have a big romantic moment here and backs off, but he can’t completely hide his disappointment. He sits back down on the loveseat and doesn’t bother pulling Dean down with him. He joins him anyway.

“We did find a spell that should work, but it’s not permanent. The power can be transferred back and forth at will. Jack can have a break, and I’d be free to join you on Earth when you're ready.”

And just like that, Cas brings up the crux of their big fight. Dean doesn’t want to go back to Earth. Cas thinks he should. He takes a deep breath, cursing that he’s about to take Crowley’s advice again and be honest about why. 

“I might never be ready Cas. Earth wasn’t a picnic for me, and I’d rather stay in Heaven where you’re safe. I don’t ever want to lose you again, and like Hell, we’re going back to, I have angel business to attend to, see you in six months.”

Cas nods, annoyingly understanding of Dean’s reservations. He feels a twinge of irritation, wondering if this is something he’s run by Crowley too. He tries not to let it get to him, reminding himself that he and Aziraphale are a thing, a six thousand year thing apparently. 

He knows it's irrational to be jealous of the most taken man in existence, but he can’t help it. Cas is amazing, and he’s stupidly confident that the angel could seduce the demon if he tried. He certainly managed it when he was one. 

“ We’ll do whatever you wish in that regard, and if you are not comfortable with me presiding over Heaven while Jack is away, I will stay here a bit longer and try to find another solution,” Cas reasons. 

Nope, he definitely doesn’t want him hanging out with Crowley any more than necessary. So, he agrees a little too quickly. Dean only hopes he doesn’t regret it later. There’s only so many times he can watch his angel die on him. 

“We-we can give it a try, just promise me you’ll tell me if it becomes too much,” he says, eyes stupidly watery.

He hates that his life has become a chick flick moment. 

“I will,” Cas says, giving him a peck on the cheek like it's nothing.

He blushes and willingly initiates the hand holding. Okay, maybe, he doesn’t mind starring in a romantic comedy. 

It’s certainly better than starring in a horror show. 

“You have nothing to worry about Dean,” Cas says, forcing him out of his head.

He scowls, frustrated that he can’t hide what he means anymore.

“What did I say about reading my mind, Cas?” 

Cas looks unapologetic as he looks him dead in the eye.

“Not to, but I’ve noticed our relationship goes smoother when I do. Would you like to go back to tormenting yourself over an imagined affair I’m having with my brother’s lover?”

This time the squint and head tilt is done for effect. He’s blushing again for all the wrong reasons. He shoves the angel off of him, more than a little mortified.

“Shut up, I know it’s stupid. I’m working on being less of a jealous angry asshole, okay? I know I don’t deserve you, but-” The angel cuts him off, completely exasperated. 

“Dean, I think we should go to couples counseling.”

He blinks stupidly, thrown for a loop. Where did he even get that idea? 

“What?” 

Cas keeps going as if he’s afraid that he won’t be able to get it all out if he stops now.

“I’ve been seeing a therapist, and she recommended-”

“You’re seeing a therapist? Seriously?” He can’t help but sound bitter. Dean finally thought he and Cas were in sync. 

Turns out the angel is already bored of him and living a double life, and they’ve only been an official couple for a few weeks. He’s lived with Crowley longer than that. 

“Yes, Lucifer recommended her after hearing everything I’ve been through. Doctor Linda specializes in helping celestials,” he explains.

Dean’s blood goes cold. He can hear the record scratch as he stops thinking and freezes up. 

“You’re seeing a therapist Lucifer recommended? Are you insane? She’s probably passing on everything you say to him! And in case you haven’t noticed, Lucifer is an unrepentant son of a bitch!”

Cas holds his ground, not at all concerned.

“Different Lucifer,” he reasons.

Dean’s just about had it. 

“Anything more about your secret life I should know about?”

Cas takes the question at face value.

“I sometimes sing a set at my brother’s club. Somebody to Love is especially popular.”

Dean laughs but it’s broken. 

“Just how often do you run away from me?”

Cas tilts his head again, honestly confused this time.

“Just this once,” he says.

It doesn't seem like he's lying, but Dean understandable trust issues flare up, and he can't accept Cas's answer as is. 

“Then, how do I not know about any of this?“ 

Cas looks guilty as Hell.

“I only recently reconnected with Lucifer after your untimely demise. I visit when you are busy with your other loved ones, and I have nothing to attend to. The last time I did so was when you forbade me from going with you when you finally went to visit your father," he explains. 

Dean winces, finally realizing that for the most part Cas only went to see his other family when he willfully sent him away. Even now, Cas always prioritizes him first. And, here, he was banishing an angel from his presence so his devil of a father can talk down to him. 

"When did you start hanging out with these two?"

Cas hesitates, aware that Dean fears being replaced. He has a feeling he knows exactly what the angel's about to tell him. He braces himself, expecting Castiel's version of events to hurt him him just as much as Jack's if not more. 

"You were gone, Dean. Michael had you, and I could see that Jack needed the break, needed a familial connection he'd never be able to have with Kelly's family without endangering them or breaking their hearts. So, I went to visit Aziraphale for the first time in years and brought Jack with me. I’m glad I did. He’s much happier than I’ve ever seen him. Jack took a liking to Crowley especially.”

Simple innocuous memories, suddenly become painful. He remembers the kid coming up to him, asking if he'd ever thought of wearing shades. He'd told him he didn't see the point when he spent a chunk of his time in an underground bunker. Jack never brought it up again but started wearing a pair of dark shades every time he got the chance. Dean asked him where he got them once, assuming Cas had bought him a pair. The kid never gave him a straight answer. He'd even asked him what kind of car he'd want if he could have any one he wanted. The kid had asked for a Bentley. Dean promised him that he could have the one collecting dust in the Bunker as soon as he got the hang of driving. He'd been so happy. Even the kid knew Crowley was better than him. 

"He's not."

Dean flinches. He really hates that particular Jedi mind trick. Maybe, he can bring it up in therapy and get him to cut it out. 

"Not likely." 

Dean lets out a dramatic sigh and imagines giving Castiel the finger. His angel gets the message and stops peeking in, rolling his eyes.

"Real mature, Dean."

Dean's gotten some of his bravado back thanks to the angel's reassurances and easily fights back.

"Says the angel who ran away from home." 

Cas's expression becomes serious and he frowns.

"That wasn't my originally intention."

He looks around the eclectic living space and gazes at an old black and white photograph of Aziraphale and Crowley posing outside a destroyed church, a hint of a smile on his face. 

“Believe it or not, even though I chose you over my family, I still miss them. Visiting these worlds allows me to forge connections with members of my family that are otherwise lost to me in our world. Will you deny me this small happiness?” Cas asks.

Dean swallows nervously. He can't deny the angel anything, not anymore, not when he's lost so much for his sake. And you'll never catch him saying it in his universe, but these angels are actually nice if a little strange. 

“No, course not, but family doesn’t-”

“End in blood, I know. I’ve gone to visit Claire and Kaia just as often.”

He should have guessed. 

“Good.”

He doesn’t know what else to say. It takes him a minute to even remember how the devil ended up being the topic of conversation.

“We can go to counseling if you want. I-I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”

Cas vehemently shakes his head, putting a hand on his knee as a small show of comfort that won’t make Dean back away. 

“We’ve both hurt each other. Don’t put this all on yourself. I only brought it up because I think it would be good for us. I trust Linda.”

“Okay.”

An uncomfortable silence follows, and he half hopes that one of the angels will barge in and free them from the oppressive silence. Hopefully Aziraphale and not the one he royally pissed off by implying he was secretly an archangel. He's not sure he believes it even though he's technically already lived through that plotline with Gabriel aka The Trickster. 

“It was wrong of me not to mention them to you, for you to find out this way. I promise when you meet Lucifer and Amenadiel that it will be under more pleasant circumstances.”

“Amen-who?”

Cas almost smiles.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard his name pronounced that way.”

“Yeah well, he’s not an angel we’ve come across is all,” he says with a shrug. 

He’s hungry and more than ready to finish bible study for the day. 

“So, what’s for dinner?”

Thankfully, Cas seems to agree. He eagerly heads for the stairs with the kind of look he only gives to Dean, well Dean and any burger he can get his hands on. 

“Burgers from Tommi’s Burger Joint, most likely, it’s what I’ve been eating for the last three months. I’m sure Crowley must have cried tears of joy when he saw you. He’s been complaining loudly that he’s sick to death of burgers. Unfortunately for Crowley, Aziraphale is an absurdly good host and has been treating me to burgers every time I ask, which is pretty much every day.”

Dean smirks, pleased that his angel has actually been making Crowley miserable all this time as unfair as that sentiment is. Overall, he’d actually given Cas pretty good advice. 

“Wow, seriously? You’ve been making the angel snobs eat nothing but burgers this whole time. I knew you were a Winchester at heart.”

Cas hugs him, and yeah, he’s definitely not used to unrestrained displays of affection yet. 

“Thank you, Dean,” he murmurs into his jacket. 

Dean hugs back awkwardly, pushing down how much it saddens him how grateful Cas still is for even the slightest acknowledgement that he cares about him. He may not deserve his angel, but he’ll be damned again, before he takes him for granted this time. 

"You're welcome buddy, but you've been a Winchester in my book for a long time now. No need to get emotional every time I mention it," he says, patting him on the back for good measure.

Cas grunts, noncommittally, refusing to let him go. Dean doesn't really mind. 

“Alright lovebirds, we’re taking you and your boyfriend to the Ritz to celebrate you two getting back together without either of you having to die first. For you two, that shows real growth,” Crowley says, obviously privy Dean’s entire life story. 

It doesn’t bother him as much as it would have when he first popped into this universe. He ignores Crowley and turns his attention back to Cas, fishing for the fancy fork he’s been carrying.

“Great, now, I can impress you with my fork knowledge.”

Cas tilts his head, a curious look in his eyes.

“Your fork knowledge?”

“This is a dinner fork,” he says, holding the dinner fork proudly. 

“That’s actually a lunch fork. A dinner fork is a fair bit larger,” Aziraphale says, coming up from behind Crowley.

Dean throws the stupid fork on the floor, not caring how much of a rude ass he’s being. Two hours, two whole hours, the kid made him look at forks, and he can’t even name the fork he brought with him. 

“Dammit.”

Cas has the gall to laugh at him. He pecks him on the cheek again, and he’s red as a tomato. 

“I appreciate the effort Dean.”

Aziraphale claps, and Crowley’s snickers. He scowls at them, but Cas leads him away, casually filling him in on what he’s been up to when he wasn’t in research mode.

"I got to visit Aziraphale and Crowley's cottage in South Downs. I especially liked the garden, reminds me of the first one," he tells him, easily climbing down the creaky stairs.

"Yeah?" he says, preoccupied that he'll end up falling down the stairs with the way Cas is dragging him around.

"None of the plants there take me seriously anymore. I've become a joke," Crowley grumbles.

Aziraphale ribs him, scolding him lightly.

"Hush, it's your own fault for not telling Castiel that the poor dears weren't in any danger of actually being destroyed. I'm sure he would have left you to your hobby and not instantly healed them every time they looked the slightest bit worn otherwise."

"Uh, what's he talking about Cas?"

"He has a strange preoccupation with bullying plants."

"It's therapeutic for him," Aziraphale explains. 

Crowley scowls at him, but the other angel seems immune, still happily holding his hand. The demon keeps sulking. 

"I tried to salvage my reputation by threatening to give them to Castiel so they could slowly wither and die in an underground bunker."

Dean smirks already guessing how that turned out for him.

"I assured them that I could use my grace to keep them alive indefinitely and that I would never yell at them."

"Traitors all of them," Crowley fumes.

A strange devilish aura surrounds Cas then as he smiles wickedly at Crowley, but it disappears when he turns back to Dean, the picture of innocence. 

"By the way Dean, I'm going to need your help carrying all our new plants back to the bunker. I thought I'd start a garden there."

He can't help but feel a swell of pride. He'd corrupted the angel good. 

"Sounds great, Babe."

He can tell instantly that the new pet name isn't a hit. Cas glares at him.

"I'm not a car, Dean."

Crowley practically cackles.

"I can see why you resorted to Huggy Bear, just keep your angel away from my plants," he huffs. 

The demon finally calms down and lets Aziraphale take the lead. Dean grimaces. He'd been hopeful when Cas said they might be going to a pub or something, but this is something else. Aziraphale seems to sense his anxiety and tries to reassure him.

"You'll love the Ritz. The food is delicious."

Cas butts in and asks a ridiculous question.

"Do they have burgers?"

Dean laughs which if he thinks about it was probably the angel's goal. Cas's question seems to have killed Aziraphale a little inside. 

"What did you feed him while he was human?" Aziraphale asks accusingly. It's the closest to mad he's ever seen him.

"The usual, burgers, beer, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches."

Honestly, his angel didn't start out picky. He could have put an apple and a can of spam in front of him, and Cas would have loved it, simply because he had nothing to compare it too. Dean didn't want to do him dirty like that and introduced him all his favorite foods before . . . well, he didn't like to think about what Cas ate when he was homeless. 

"You monster." 

He instantly finches and briefly wonders if angels can read minds in this universe after all. 

"Look who's overreacting now," Crowley teases. 

Aziraphale crosses his arms, silently pouting.

"I just think its a shame that his palette is so limited. There's plenty of good food out there that isn't a piece of meat slapped between two buns."

"If I order something new, will it make you happy Aziraphale?" Cas asks.

"Yes, please, anything that's not a burger. It's a wonder they managed to keep you alive if that's all you ate," Aziraphale chides. 

Dean freezes. It's painfully clear that Cas has omitted some of the things he did during their twelve year slow burn.

"It's not all I ate," Cas admits quietly.

Aziraphale definitely realizes something's off, but luckily, the angel decides to mind his own business.

"Also, weirdly fond of frozen burritos and burnt nachos, I wonder why that is," Crowley says in a disapproving way.

"Didn't you say you ended up working at a gas station once? How did that even happen?"

Aziraphale spares either of them from having to answer. Dean blinks, and they're suddenly inside the Ritz. No one nearby bats an eye.

"Oh look, we're here," Aziraphale says feigning surprise.

Crowley turns sour, put off by Aziraphale's clever conflict resolution skills. Dean's busy admiring the architecture when he notices he's wearing a tux and so is Cas, and whoa, does his angel clean up nice. 

"Fancy that, avoiding the subject, been spending time with Lucy have you?" 

"No more than you," Aziraphale says dismissively. 

They both confidently sit down at the nearest table without waiting for a server to seat them, and a young man eagerly comes up to the two angels unbearably excited.

"Mr. Fell, Mr. Crowley! So good to see you two again. I was worried something had happened."

Dean raises an eyebrow. Apparently, they dine here so often that their three month absence was noticed. Aziraphale mutters something about miracles coming in handy. Crowley, on the other hand, keeps glaring at him which if quite a feat considering he's wearing his sunglasses indoors. 

"The usual?"

"Yes please. What about you, dear?" Aziraphale says, subtly ribbing Crowley.

"The same as always, thank you, Roger." 

Crowley never looks away from Dean which is kind of funny because he puts enough effort into being human that he makes a show of holding up a menu. There's a part of him that wants to edge him on when the server addresses him. 

"And what about your lovely guests? Mr.? "

"Winchester," he offers. 

"And' I'll have the Beef Wellington." 

He has no idea what he's doing so he might as well order the first thing that looks good. 

"Very well, Mr. Winchester, and what about you angel?"

Aziraphale gives him a look and shakes his head. The man fumbles as he pours champagne.

"Ah yes, sorry, that was unprofessional of me, and you sir?"

"I'll have the same, and I am also Mr. Winchester by the way, but I am very flattered. You are a very handsome man," Cas says in his usual deadpan.

The man blushes and stutters as he tries to finish serving them with his dignity in tact.

"T-Thank you, I'll return as soon as your orders are ready. Always a pleasure seeing you, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Fell."

He gives a little bow as he runs off with his tail between his legs. Dean can't help but snicker. Maybe, there is still a little Hell left in him. 

Dinner ends up being pretty great. Aziraphale is easy to talk to, and Crowley eventually lightens up and joins the conversation, adding his own anecdotes wherever he can. Dean is pretty sure Cas constantly kicking him from under the table when the demon is especially rude to Dean has something to do with it. No one comments on Dean's lack of table manners. Jack's fork lesson end up being irrelevant. And, he surprises himself by agreeing to come see them again with Cas sometime. 

When they come back home, they don’t go back to Heaven right away. Instead, they plant their own garden. They go visit Claire and Kaia. From there, Dean insists that Cas should see the kid Garth named after him. And, it only seems natural to return to the bunker and check on the garden after that. Sam mysteriously shows up one day with Eileen. Dean runs up and hugs him. For once, tears fall freely from his eyes, he knows what his brother gave up to be here. They stay at the bunker, and he doesn’t confront Cas when he starts feeling more human. He’s happy, and when they do go and visit Crowley and Aziraphale again, he brings Crowley a plant in thanks. To this day, Dean’s never seen him yell at it. Of course, all the other plants hate the tiny little succulent named after him. He wouldn’t have it any other way. Cas, in his infinite wisdom, makes the situation worse by bringing another plant from their garden to keep little Dean company. Crowley names that one Cas, and subtly, reasserts his authority by using the other plants jealously against them. It’s kind of hard for Dean to hate him after that. Cas’s a weird nerdy dude who deserves an equally unhinged dorky family, and he’s finally got it. If only Lucifer would stop trying to set Cas up with a nice prophet, his life would be perfect, but that’s a story for another time. 


End file.
